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Bowilly's Replies
Agreed! I try to limit myself to one viewing per year, some years I actually make it. This is the only film where the story draws me in every time.
Season 2 looks to be very intense! Hopper is still on the case, Will is still lost, Joyce is still hysterical, Jonathan and Nancy are still trying to get together, Mike and the gang are still searching for clues and through it all Eleven is still angry. Thanks Netflix for making the next two weeks seem like two months. Can't wait!!!!!
I've been a fan of Natalie for many years, but I'm more interested in the characters she's portrayed on the screen. As I'm sure I will never meet her in my lifetime I don't take her private life too seriously. By separating the actress from the character my admiration for the character will remain.
No. I disagree!!!
I believe Eleven feels that she is evil because she loses control of her emotions. Fear is always present when her reactions are most violent. As her story moves forward, learning to control this fear, I believe, will remain her biggest enemy.
If Eleven's story is to continue sooner or later she'll have to start speaking more and I imagine that would lead to revealing things about herself. If this were so, sadness will surely play a big role as her story moves forward. Maybe they will reveal a side El that we haven't really seen yet. The feeling of Happiness would be a nice touch for her character, and what better way to end the Season than seeing Eleven at the Snow Ball?
You may be right about Will, he might blame El for his misfortunes and I'm sure this would cause friction between him and Mike, possibly causing Mike to have reluctant feelings where Eleven is concerned.
I wouldn't describe their love as Romantic, but I don't think I would describe it as Platonic either. Since their love was born out of loneliness, I believe the love they feel is much stronger.
I think the reason some people are confused by my interpretation, is maybe they lose sight of the fact that the story is not about Leon the hitman, but instead his love for Mathilda.
I'm curious as to why the original poster never bothered to explain what made them feel uncomfortable!
As you mentioned we have come to know Eleven as being gentle and kind, and I don't think that we have been misled in that regard, but we might see a different side of her if jealousy comes into play. For now I think Mike only has eyes for Eleven and she for him, but there could be someone lurking in the background, seeking Mike's attention.
Of course I can only speculate, but I can see there being some friction between Eleven and the new girl, not necessarily in relation to Mike, but Eleven having difficulty trying to fit in with the groups social scene. As the boys themselves are considered to be geeks and outcasts, Eleven is even more so, and if they were to follow in the new girls footsteps they may tend to leave Eleven behind.
Max has been described as the new girl with a chip on her shoulder, if she and Eleven were to tangle, all I can say is Good Luck Max!!!
I agree, the mistreatment of her has only made her stronger by enhancing her emotional behavior, particularly her fear and anger. I think it's interesting that these two emotions appear to be directly related, in most cases it's her fear that triggers the anger.
I'm curious to know if Eleven's powers have reached their full potential, or will they become even stronger as she ages. At least for now she is able to assess the severity of the threats opposing her, if they become stronger she might lose that ability. Something else that might be interesting, I wonder if we might see a sample of her jealousy in the near future?
Continued from above<<<
I think it's obvious that her anger has been enhanced and stems largely from Brenners influence. I remember someone posted a statement a while back, they stated that Brenner managed to make a killer out of Eleven but not a murderer. I found that statement very interesting and it's true if you think about it, she only harms those that are trying to force her back into the Hell that she has had to endure for so long and despite the torment and abuse she is still more human than those who imprisoned her.
You mentioned that you enjoy having in depth discussions about the characters and you definitely have a keen eye for detail. Out of our conversations, I feel I know Eleven a little better now. Since I tend to try and understand Eleven through her emotions, she still remains somewhat a mystery and since her anger has been forced upon her, in essence it's not a true emotion.
You bring up a very interesting point,several actually, but the one I am referring to is where you mention that maybe the best way to interpret what Eleven is thinking is through her actions. When I become really interested in a character, it's always related to their emotional behavior. What emotion are they experiencing at any given moment that steers their actions and reactions. I'm not sure if I'm doing a good job at explaining it, but I tend to try and interpret the emotion that triggers their reaction, if that makes sense.
The scene where Eleven throws Lucas and knocks him unconscious, I believe the first emotion she feels after this happens is fear because of what she did, but it quickly turns to anger when Mike scolded her and her reaction to the anger is to run away and hide. Later when she has had some alone time, those initial emotions turns to sadness which eventually leads to self pity.
When she sees her reflection in the water her sadness turns to self pity, because she thinks that without the wig she's not pretty and this leads to fear again. The fear would be that maybe Mike's affection for her is not for her true self. Self pity and fear leads to anger again and like before her reaction to the anger is to shatter her reflection.
What makes Eleven mysterious to me? I'm not sure. I guess that's why I say she is hard to figure out. Obviously her powers come to mind, and the fact that we know very little about her certainly plays a big part, but I think it has more to do with the little things as opposed to the obvious. We know that she is very vulnerable which is no doubt a reflection of her upbringing. She is also very quiet and shy, and we see examples of her kindness and compassion for others. When Eleven gets angry though, she can be very tenacious and this trait just doesn't fit among the rest that makes up her true nature.
I am enjoying the conversation also, I only wish I had more time to engage in these kind of discussions. When I have a few minutes I spend most of my time reading other boards, and since my time is limited I only post in a select few. Leon The Professional is my favorite film for discussion, but unfortunately that board is not very active here. I am very glad that we have Stranger Things though, and I believe this board will become more lively when Season Two comes around
The interaction between characters has always been my favorite aspect of any film, the more emotional the better. The idea of becoming so interested in a persons life, who doesn't really exist, is kinda magical in a way at least for me. I guess to lose oneself within the story, says the filmmakers did something right, unfortunately that is becoming more and more rare in today's Cinema.
Anyway getting back to the discussion, when the boys find Eleven in the woods, I don't know what it is, but there was something about that scene that made me think "Yea! Mike is definitely interested" I don't think I would describe it as Love at First Sight, but definitely a feeling kindred to that idea. As far as them realizing their feelings for one another, if I think about it, the scene where I mentioned Mike hugging Eleven for saving him, that could possibly be the moment that they both sensed the others true feelings. It's really hard for me to say with these two, but the almost kiss scene follows shortly after.
Eleven is so mysterious, she is really hard to figure out and I guess that's why she is my favorite character. Since she is my favorite character I think it's only appropriate to acknowledge "Millie "the young actress, who brought Eleven to life.
For Mike, I think the attraction was immediate. From the very beginning he is the only one that showed her kindness and understanding, he seemed to go out of his way to make her feel comfortable. Lucas and Dustin seemed to be more skeptical which would be a more natural response toward this mysterious new stranger.
For Eleven though, I think the attraction was more gradual, as she first needed to establish a trust between them given her situation. Later as she begins to feel more comfortable with Mike she is able to let her guard down and embrace the new emotions inside of her.
It's hard to pinpoint the exact moment for Eleven, I guess I would say when Mike hugs her for saving him, it's doubtful that anyone ever showed her that kind of affection without wanting something in return.
Great Post By The Way!!!
My interpretation of the scene is that Eleven is coming to life so to speak. Earlier Mike showed her genuine affection for saving him, and I'm sure that was a special moment for her. I guess I see it this way, Eleven is experiencing emotions that are new to her, and maybe not knowing why herself, she is instinctively acting on them. We also see that El has became self aware of her appearance when she asks Mike if she is still pretty. Whether or not she knew what she was going to do at that moment, I'm not sure, maybe we aren't meant to know due to Dustin's perfect timing.
As far as Eleven moving in for the kiss, this definitely shows, that she too possesses the most basic instincts in human nature, that so far, Brenners influence has not been able to reach. We see examples like this many times over the course of her story. It's not only a cute moment, it's also very natural and an indication that Eleven is beginning to experience life for the first time.
I think everyone is happy that Eleven is returning, she's such a strong character, I couldn't imagine the show without her. I've been anticipating the shows return for a year now and I think the next two months are going to be the longest.
Were you able to finish the remaining episodes, if so what did you think?
Depends on the viewer I guess. There are so many threads, concerning this film, that are similar to this one and I believe there's one simple explanation that answers all these type of questions. There's one fact about Leon that often gets overlooked and rarely gets mentioned even though the film makes it so vividly clear. Leon Loves Mathilda!!!
Wanted: Dead Or Alive! (Steve McQueen)